The development of the ministry of marriage within the church is thriving. According to current data, many marriages are achieved through matchmaking websites every year.
I know a brother in a southern city who is the owner of a large company, and his mother's home is the gathering place for a youth group. Over time, he noticed that many believers had difficulty finding suitable partners for marriage, and this issue remained unresolved for years. As a result, the brother donated some money to establish a matchmaking website for believers and recruited several part-time workers to handle its operation and planning.
So far, the website has been active for 11 years, and numerous brothers and sisters have met and gotten married through the platform.
Apart from this website, the membership and marriage data from other dating sites over the past decade are also encouraging. In terms of services, most sites offer tutoring sessions (free and paid), prayer forums, and more. Some websites with extensive membership coverage even organize offline matchmaking events in the cities they serve.
I have spoken to believers of different ages about their thoughts on such marriage platforms and whether they are interested in trying them. Some individuals express concerns about online dating, including long-distance relationships and the authenticity of members. I've heard stories of a sister who registered and encountered a brother who was already married and had lied about it. Additionally, some people may engage with multiple individuals and adopt a "choosing the best one" approach, which can be a waste of time and energy for others. However, some Christians believe that regardless of the number of in-person matchmaking events held, they can only meet a limited number of people, whereas the internet provides more possibilities. Matchmaking websites have a large number of members, opening up greater opportunities to meet the right partners.
Among my Christian friends, there are six couples who got married through matchmaking websites. Two sisters had been praying for marriage long before they registered on such websites. They had a rough idea of the kind of life and qualities they were seeking in a partner. After a few months, they met the people God had prepared for them. The two brothers were from the same hometown as the sisters but were working in other cities. When they returned to visit the sisters, the meetings were conducted openly in the church assembly. The confirmation that this was the work of God, and six months later, they were married. The two brothers subsequently joined a fellowship and became core coworkers.
Prior to meeting their partners, the two sisters also encountered unreliable individuals who were playboys and caused them significant pain. Therefore, when initiating contact with others online, it is important to avoid becoming emotionally invested too quickly and instead focus on rational communication and increased prayer.
I know a sister who was 40 years old at the time of registration and was divorced (converted after divorce). In her second year of believing in the Lord, she made it clear that she would take the path of serving God and asked God to prepare a brother for herself. She told God that she hoped to meet the one God had prepared only through the first letter in her station mailbox she was going to receive because she did not have the wisdom to judge the right person for her.
That sister did not receive a letter for nearly a month. However, on the last day of that month, she received a letter from a Chinese brother who was living in the United States. That brother was about her age and never married. Both of them are educated, capable, and simple believers in the Lord. Clearly, God has the ability to arrange and match marriages, even when faced with age and geographical restrictions.
The experiences of several of my friends who have successfully gotten married have one thing in common: a lot of early prayer and faith in God. Moreover, they had clear goals and were ready for marriage.
Before we consider whether we should seek the right ones for marriage through the Internet, we must ask God's guidance through prayer and know the pros and cons of this method. Although we do not know whether God will let us meet the right ones through the Internet or in real life, it is indispensable for us to have good faith and rely on God while acting.
(The writer is a Christian in Shaanxi Province.)
-Translated by Nicolas Cao
主内婚恋事工的发展，在蓬勃生长中。从数据上来看，每年通过婚恋网成就的婚姻见证不在少数。
笔者曾认识一个南方某城市的弟兄，他本人是事业有成的大老板，而他母亲家中是青年小组聚会点。长期下来他发现到许多信徒结婚困难，问题常年得不到解决。于是，这位弟兄拿出钱，建立了主内婚恋网站，又招聘了几位兼职同工来负责网站的运营、策划。
迄今，该网站已建立11年，这其中也有不少弟兄姊妹通过此平台结识而走入家庭。
不仅是这家网站，同时期的其他婚恋网站在这十年的发展中，会员量和结婚数据也是可喜的。在服务方面，网站大部分都提供了辅导课程（免费和收费），代祷园地等。而对于会员覆盖面较广的区域，有的网站还会组织线下的同城相亲活动。
笔者曾问过不同年龄的信徒，对于此类婚恋平台的看法，以及是否有兴趣尝试。一种看法认为，网络相亲存在异地差距、会员真实性等问题。曾听闻有姐妹注册后，在上面遇见隐瞒已婚情况的弟兄。也会碰到同时和多名异性联络，从中“择优选择”的人，白白浪费对方的时间精力。 也有一部分基督徒认为实地即使举办再多的相亲活动，能认识的人还是有限的，而网络提供了更多的可能性。因为它拥有庞大的会员量，给人带来更遇见伴侣的可能性。
在笔者的基督徒朋友中，有六对夫妻是经婚恋网走进家庭的。其中，两位姐妹在注册前，已经为婚姻祷告许久。心里也大致清楚要寻找的伴侣在生命上、条件上是怎样的。经过几个月，她们相继遇见了上帝为她们预备的人。这两位弟兄与姐妹都是同一户籍地，只是在外打工。当他们回来看望姊妹时，姐妹也很谨慎，先将弟兄带到教会中，在聚会里公开见面。此后不断确定是神的工作，半年后他们就结婚了。那两位弟兄后来还进入团契服侍，成为了核心同工。
而在遇见他们之前，两位姐妹也都遇见过不靠谱的人，脚踩几只船，给两位姐妹带来了伤害。因此在网络上，彼此刚接触的时候，一定避免投入情感，而是要理性的交流，更多的祷告。
笔者认识一位姐妹，她在注册的时候已经40岁了，且是离异（离异后信主）。信主第二年，她就明确了自己要走服侍神的道路，就求神给自己预备一个弟兄。她跟神说，只让她的站内邮箱里收到一封信，就是神预备的那一位，因为她没有智慧来分辨。
姐妹在将近一个月的时间里，没有收到一封信。但是那个月的最后一天，她收到了一封来自大洋彼岸的来信，是一位在美国的华裔弟兄所写。那个弟兄年龄与她相仿，一直未婚。两人都是有学历、有能力，也单纯爱主的人。可见，婚姻完全是由神来牵线，搭配的，即使年龄、地域都有所限制，神依然能作工。
还有几位朋友成功进入婚姻，他们有个共同点，那就是前期有大量的祷告和对神的信心。其次，他们目标清楚，心里也准备好进入恋爱和婚姻。
在我们考虑自己是否要通过网络寻求婚姻之前，一定要借着祷告求神引导，也要知道这种方式的利弊。尽管我们不知道神究竟会通过网络，还是现实生活让我们遇见另一半，但我们不可缺少的就是好好信仰，依靠神行事。（==当summary）
（本文作者为陕西一基督徒。）
浅谈网络婚恋交友的可行性
The development of the ministry of marriage within the church is thriving. According to current data, many marriages are achieved through matchmaking websites every year.
I know a brother in a southern city who is the owner of a large company, and his mother's home is the gathering place for a youth group. Over time, he noticed that many believers had difficulty finding suitable partners for marriage, and this issue remained unresolved for years. As a result, the brother donated some money to establish a matchmaking website for believers and recruited several part-time workers to handle its operation and planning.
So far, the website has been active for 11 years, and numerous brothers and sisters have met and gotten married through the platform.
Apart from this website, the membership and marriage data from other dating sites over the past decade are also encouraging. In terms of services, most sites offer tutoring sessions (free and paid), prayer forums, and more. Some websites with extensive membership coverage even organize offline matchmaking events in the cities they serve.
I have spoken to believers of different ages about their thoughts on such marriage platforms and whether they are interested in trying them. Some individuals express concerns about online dating, including long-distance relationships and the authenticity of members. I've heard stories of a sister who registered and encountered a brother who was already married and had lied about it. Additionally, some people may engage with multiple individuals and adopt a "choosing the best one" approach, which can be a waste of time and energy for others. However, some Christians believe that regardless of the number of in-person matchmaking events held, they can only meet a limited number of people, whereas the internet provides more possibilities. Matchmaking websites have a large number of members, opening up greater opportunities to meet the right partners.
Among my Christian friends, there are six couples who got married through matchmaking websites. Two sisters had been praying for marriage long before they registered on such websites. They had a rough idea of the kind of life and qualities they were seeking in a partner. After a few months, they met the people God had prepared for them. The two brothers were from the same hometown as the sisters but were working in other cities. When they returned to visit the sisters, the meetings were conducted openly in the church assembly. The confirmation that this was the work of God, and six months later, they were married. The two brothers subsequently joined a fellowship and became core coworkers.
Prior to meeting their partners, the two sisters also encountered unreliable individuals who were playboys and caused them significant pain. Therefore, when initiating contact with others online, it is important to avoid becoming emotionally invested too quickly and instead focus on rational communication and increased prayer.
I know a sister who was 40 years old at the time of registration and was divorced (converted after divorce). In her second year of believing in the Lord, she made it clear that she would take the path of serving God and asked God to prepare a brother for herself. She told God that she hoped to meet the one God had prepared only through the first letter in her station mailbox she was going to receive because she did not have the wisdom to judge the right person for her.
That sister did not receive a letter for nearly a month. However, on the last day of that month, she received a letter from a Chinese brother who was living in the United States. That brother was about her age and never married. Both of them are educated, capable, and simple believers in the Lord. Clearly, God has the ability to arrange and match marriages, even when faced with age and geographical restrictions.
The experiences of several of my friends who have successfully gotten married have one thing in common: a lot of early prayer and faith in God. Moreover, they had clear goals and were ready for marriage.
Before we consider whether we should seek the right ones for marriage through the Internet, we must ask God's guidance through prayer and know the pros and cons of this method. Although we do not know whether God will let us meet the right ones through the Internet or in real life, it is indispensable for us to have good faith and rely on God while acting.
(The writer is a Christian in Shaanxi Province.)
-Translated by Nicolas Cao
Feasibility of Online Dating for Christian Believers
